Holy God, I tremble before your word, pleading and begging that you would help me.
You would help me to bring honor to your name and to love this church, to love this people.
Father, would you anoint my lips? I am a man of unclean lips.
Just like Moses, I complain that I don't know how to speak, but Lord, you are the creator of our mouths.
You are in control of all things, and I know you've sovereignly created this opportunity.
What a good opportunity it is to preach and teach your word.
Thank you for this blessing. You are such a good God.
We pray that our hearts would be stirred and that you alone would be the one thing that we seek in all that we do.
God, help us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Let's stand all together for the reading of God's word.
Again, we're going to be reading from Luke 18, verses 18 to 34.
Luke 18, verses 18 to 34.
And a ruler asked him,
Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said to him,
Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
You know the commandments.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not murder.
Do not steal.
Do not bear false witness.
Honor your father and mother.
And he said,
All these I have kept for my youth.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him,
One thing you still lack.
Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor.
And you will have treasure in heaven.
And come, follow me.
But when he heard these things, he became very sad.
For he was extremely rich.
Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said,
How difficult it is to those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
Those who heard it said,
Then who can be saved?
And, but he said,
What is impossible with man is possible with God.
And Peter said,
See, we have left our homes and followed you.
And he said to them,
Truly I say to you,
There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children
for the sake of the kingdom of God
who will not receive many times more in this time
and in the age to come eternal life.
And taking the twelve,
he said to them,
See, we are going up to Jerusalem
and everything that is written about the Son of Man
by the prophets will be accomplished.
For we will be delivered over to the Gentiles
and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.
And after flogging him,
they will kill him.
And on the third day,
he will rise.
But they understood none of these things.
This saying was hidden from them
and they did not grasp what was said.
This is God,
God's holy and authoritative word.
Please be seated.
We have all experienced various forms of and varying degrees of privilege.
In our world,
privilege opens doors.
It gives you access to places and people that others might not have access to.
It tips public perception in your favor.
It confers power on those who possess it.
But in our passage for today,
we learn that the kingdom of God is unlike the kingdoms of this world.
It is an upside down kingdom
that even the rich cannot enter.
In fact, it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God
except through faith in Christ the King,
which is our main point of the sermon today.
So first, we're going to be exploring how the text
speaks about the upside down kingdom in verses 18 to 30,
then talks about an unlikely king in verses 31 to 34.
A ruler asks Jesus a question in verse 18.
Luke usually specifies what kind of ruler this person is.
For example, in Luke 8, 41,
he calls Jairus a ruler of the synagogue.
And in Luke 14, 1, mentions a ruler of the Pharisees.
When he doesn't specify it,
he is referring to the members of the Sanhedrin,
which was the highest Jewish ruling council
on religious, political, and legal matters.
This would explain why Jesus assumed
that this ruler knows the commandments in verse 20.
This ruler is a VIP by all measures.
He had religious standing,
political standing,
social standing,
and as we find out in verse 23,
economic standing,
since he was extremely rich.
He has all the privilege that you could imagine.
And he asked Jesus,
good teacher,
what must I do to inherit eternal life?
And to hear someone like this
address him as good teacher
and seek his spiritual direction
must have been flattering to Jesus.
But Jesus responds with a correction
in verse 18.
Why?
Why do you call me good?
No one is good except God alone.
In the original Greek,
the personal pronoun me
is fronted for emphasis.
It's why me do you call good?
So we should read it as
why do you call me good?
No one is good except God alone.
Jesus is not denying that he is in fact good.
He is good because he is the son of God,
the second person of the triune God
who alone is good.
But Jesus is here challenging
the rich ruler's shallow understanding
of moral goodness.
He is confronting what Sean calls
the PGP delusion,
the pretty good person delusion.
Many people in this world
think of themselves as
pretty good people.
I'm sure you can think of some of them.
And this ruler likewise
believed that some human beings,
especially esteemed religious teachers
like Jesus,
were quote-unquote good people.
But he really should have known better.
Psalm 53, 1-3 says,
The fool says in his heart,
there is no God.
They are corrupt,
doing abominable iniquity.
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any
who understand,
who seek after God.
They have all fallen away.
Together they have become corrupt.
There is none who does good,
not even one.
There is not one man in this world
that is good in an absolute sense.
Only God is good.
This ruler thinks that
he can attain eternal life
by doing.
By doing good.
He thinks that he can make the cut.
And Jesus reminds him
no human being can be called good
in an absolute unqualified sense.
No one is good
by God's perfect,
unattainable standards.
That's precisely why
Jesus had to come to save us.
As Jesus said in the preceding passage,
it's not those who trust
in their own righteousness,
but those who humbly entrust themselves
to Christ with Christ-like faith
that will be saved.
We are not good people,
but the good God
sent his son
to be the good teacher
to instruct us
in the way of salvation.
So this ruler is unwittingly
acknowledging something profound.
Jesus really is good
because he is the son of God,
the chosen one of God,
the messianic king.
If this ruler really understood this,
he would have left everything behind
to follow Jesus
as Jesus invites him to do
in verse 22.
But as we will see,
this ruler did not have that faith.
This ruler's question
is exactly the same
as the question
that a Jewish leaguer scholar
asked Jesus earlier
in Luke 10, 25.
And in the same way,
he answered the question before.
Jesus now points the ruler
to God's law
in verse 20.
You know the commandments.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not murder.
Do not steal.
Do not bear false witness.
Honor your father and mother.
Father.
These commands come
from the second half
of the Ten Commandments,
which we've been learning all about,
which is a summary
of the entire Old Testament law.
The first four
of the Ten Commandments
deal with our love for God.
And the latter six
deal with our love for our neighbor.
That's why the command
to love God
with our whole selves
and our neighbors
as ourselves
is the greatest commandment
that sums up
the entire law of God.
Jesus only lists
the second half
of the Ten Commandments
that deal with
our love for our neighbors.
And that's not because
loving God
is less important
than loving our neighbors.
But it's because,
as Jesus taught in Luke 10,
our love for God
finds concrete expression
in our love for our neighbor.
1 John 4, 20 to 21
puts it this way.
If anyone says,
I love God
and hates his brother,
he is a liar.
For he who does not love
his brother whom he has seen
cannot love God
whom he has not seen.
And this commandment
we have from him,
whoever loves God
must also love his brother.
Similarly,
our love for God
whom we cannot see
is demonstrated
in our love
for the neighbors
whom we can see.
Curiously,
the Ten Commandment,
which is what we
would have heard today,
which says,
you shall not covet,
is omitted
from Jesus' list,
possibly because
it's the commandment
that Jesus already knows
that this rich young ruler
is failing to keep.
The rich young ruler
replies in verse 21,
and it exposes
his prideful delusion.
All these I have kept
from my youth.
All these I have kept
from my youth.
Jews believe that God
holds children
accountable for their
moral actions
only after they have
become youths.
So when the rich young ruler
says,
all these I have kept
from my youth,
he's saying
that he's never failed
to keep them.
He is saying,
if that's what's required
for eternal life,
then I can rest easy.
because I'm all set.
His self-righteous attitude
is very similar
to that of the Pharisee
in earlier passages
in Luke.
When Jesus heard this,
he says in verse 22,
he said to him,
one thing you still lack.
Sell all that you have
and distribute to the poor
and you will have treasure
in heaven
and come,
follow me.
Jesus contrasts
the one thing
that the rich young ruler
lacks with all that he has.
He seemed to have it all.
Political power,
social clout,
religious standing,
and what's in view
extreme wealth.
But the abundance
of his wealth
was precisely
what caused
his spiritual poverty,
his spiritual lack.
As 1 John 3, 17 says,
if anyone has
the world's goods
and sees his brother
in need,
yet closes his heart
against him,
how does God's love
abide in him?
Similarly,
the rich young rulers,
lack of generosity
towards the poor,
revealed a lack of love
in his heart
for his neighbors.
But does this mean
that all of us
also have to give up
our possessions
in order to
enter the kingdom of God
and have treasure in heaven?
I don't think
that this means
that Christians
can't have
or can't use money.
It does not mean
that in order
to get into heaven
we have to take
a vow of poverty
and to beg
for our livings.
We can see clearly
that in the latter story
of Zacchaeus,
a rich tax collector
who gets saved
through faith
in Jesus.
But there's a reason
why Jesus makes
this criterion
for entry
for the kingdom of God
for this rich ruler.
He says in verse 23,
but when he heard
these things
he became very sad
for he was extremely rich.
Jesus knew
that the love of money
was the one thing
that held this rich ruler
back from wholeheartedly
following God.
Jesus' invitation
to follow him
is a standard word
that indicates
discipleship.
A disciple
is someone
who follows
his teacher
to learn
through instruction
and imitation.
But instead
of responding
with joy
at Jesus' invitation,
the rich ruler
became very sad
because he knew
he could not
follow Christ
because he was
unwilling
to relinquish
his extreme wealth.
Jesus said earlier
in Luke 16, 13,
no servant
can serve
two masters
for either
he will hate
the one
or love
the other
or he will be
devoted to one
and despise
the other.
You cannot
serve God
and money.
This rich ruler
was trying to serve
both God
and money
and Jesus
makes it clear
that you must
choose one
or the other.
Even though
he was otherwise
a law-abiding Jew,
love of money
was the one thing
that he could not
pronounce
or renounce.
This is a choice
that faces
each and every
single one of us.
What is the one thing
that you lack?
What's the one thing
that you're not
willing
to give up
for Jesus?
Who is the one person
that you love
more than you love God?
Is your academic
performance
or career advancements
the first priority
of your life?
Is ensuring
the future success
of your child
making sure
that she outshines
all her peers
the overriding goal
that takes precedence
over your child's
and your family's
wholehearted pursuit
of Christ?
Is appeasing
your boyfriend
or girlfriend
your husband
or wife
your parents
your boss
your professor
or advisor
more important
to you
than pleasing
Christ?
Is earning
and saving
more and more
money
so that you have
financial security
and a deposit
for the future
your most pressing
concern?
All of these things
must be second
to Christ.
Jesus must be first.
If we want to call
Christ our Lord
and King
we must subordinate
all other allegiances
to him.
Notice that Jesus
does not negotiate
the terms of discipleship
as this rich ruler
turns away in sadness.
He is uncompromising.
He doesn't say
hey hey
don't leave so soon.
Okay
alright alright
let me cut you a deal.
Since you're keeping
all these other commandments
I'll turn a blind eye
to you know
this one thing
you could still be
my disciple.
No
he says
one thing
you still lack
sell all
that you have
and distribute
to the poor
and you will have
treasure in heaven
and come
follow me.
You cannot
follow me
until you renounce
your love of money.
You cannot
be my disciple
as long as money
is more important
to you
than me.
That's what Jesus
says.
if your great desire
in life
is for earthly treasure
then you cannot
desire God
as your greatest treasure
and therefore
you cannot
be Christian.
If we live
for the treasures
of earth
we should not
expect
to have treasures
in heaven.
seeing that
the rich
ruler
had
become sad
Jesus
laments
in verse 24
how difficult
it is
for those
who have wealth
to enter
the kingdom
of God.
It's hard
for wealthy
people to enter
the kingdom
of God
and it's
highly unfortunate
that we live
in one of the
richest parts
of the entire
world.
24-7
Wall Street
which publishes
financial news
and opinion pieces
online
reviewed median
household income
data from the
U.S. Census Bureau
from 381
U.S. metro
areas
and concluded
that the
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
metro area
is one of only
five metro areas
where most
households earn
at least
$85,000
a year.
I have no idea
when that's
stated
or when
Sean wrote
this sermon
but that
sounds about
right.
It's one of
the five
richest cities
in the
United States.
It's hard
for our
friends and
neighbors
in Cambridge
and Boston
to enter
the kingdom
of God
because of
their wealth.
Do you
really get
this?
As Christians
we should
know better
than to
dream of
getting rich
and living
large.
If that's
what you
daydream
about
that's
a spiritual
emergency
you're in
grave
trouble.
It is
difficult
for those
who have
wealth
to enter
the kingdom
of God.
Why?
Why in the
world
would you
want to be
rich?
Don't
desire to
be rich.
1 Timothy
6, 9-10
says,
Those who
desire to
be rich
fall into
temptation,
into a
snare,
into many
senseless
and harmful
desires that
plunge people
into ruin
and destruction.
For the
love of
money is
the root
of all
kinds of
evils.
It is
through this
craving that
some have
wandered away
from the
faith and
pierced
themselves
with many
pangs.
Does
falling into
temptation,
into a
snare,
into many
senseless
and harmful
desires that
plunge people
into ruin
and destruction
sound enjoyable
to you?
Does being
pierced with
many pangs
sound pleasurable
to you?
Get back to
your senses,
brothers and
sisters.
Don't
desire to
be rich.
If you
work hard
and steward
your resources
well,
and wealth
is the
incidental
result of
that,
great,
then great.
in that
case,
use your
money
generously
for the
kingdom
of God.
Give
sacrificially
to the
ministry of
the gospel.
Give
liberally
to the
poor,
but don't
ever
desire
to be
rich.
Don't
ever
love
money.
Jesus
continues
his
explanation
in
verse
25,
for it
is easier
for a
camel to
go through
the eye
of a
needle
than
for a
rich
person
to
enter
the
kingdom
of
God.
The
camel
is the
largest
animal
native
to this
part
of the
world.
It can
be about
seven
feet tall,
I had no
idea,
complete
with a
giant hump
or two
in its
back,
and it
makes a
shocking
and silly
image.
Good luck
trying to
fit that
thing in
an eye
of a
needle,
which is
so small
that it's
even hard
to pass
the end
of a
thread
through it.
People
have had
a hard
time
understanding
this
saying
throughout
church
history
because
it is
impossible
for a
camel to
go through
the eye
of a
needle.
So,
is Jesus
saying that
rich people
can't be
saved?
Well,
that can't
possibly be.
So,
Jesus must
be trying
to say
something
else.
In order
to improve
Jesus'
teaching
and make
it more
palatable
to our
sensibilities,
so some
people have
suggested
that at
Jerusalem
there was
a certain
gate
called
the
needle's
eye
through
which
a
camel
could
not
pass
but on
its
bended
knees
and after
its burden
had been
taken off
so the
rich
should not
be able
to pass
along the
narrow way
that leads
to life
till he
had put
off the
burden of
sin
and of
riches
that is
by ceasing
to love
him.
That's
by Thomas
Aquinas.
The only
trouble with
this explanation
is that
there is
no
historical
evidence
whatsoever
of a
gate
called
the
needle's
eye
at
any
point
in
Jerusalem's
history.
It's
merely
a romantic
speculation.
The point
of Jesus'
illustration
is not
that rich
people have
to lay
aside
their wealth
in order
to enter
the kingdom
just as
camels
must lay
aside
their
burdens
before
entering
through
a
low
gate.
The point
of the
illustration
is that
it is
impossible
for rich
people
to enter
the kingdom
of God.
This is
then confirmed
in verses
26 to
27.
Those who
heard it
then said
then who
can be
saved?
But Jesus
said what
is impossible
with man
is possible
with God.
This is
precisely
Jesus'
point.
It is
impossible
for the
rich
to enter
the kingdom
of God.
The allure
of money
is so
strong.
The distractions
that it
creates
are so
numerous.
The temptations
that it
multiplies
are so
enticing
that it's
impossible
for the
rich
to be
saved.
As
biblical
scholar
Daryl
Brock
puts it,
wealth
can shrink
the door
of the
kingdom
down
to an
impassable
people.
The
self-focused
security
of the
wealthy
is a
padlock
against
kingdom
entry.
In fact,
it's
impossible
for any
man to
enter the
kingdom
of God
with his
own
merit
and with
his own
strength.
But
hear,
brothers and
sisters,
hear his
hope.
What is
impossible
with man
is
possible
with God.
God alone
can wean
the rich
people away
from their
love of
money.
God alone
can wean
us away
from various
idols.
As Jesus
speaks of
salvation as
something that
is humanly
impossible,
Peter seeks
assurances from
him in
verses 28
to 30.
And Peter
said,
see,
we have
left our
homes and
followed you.
And he
said to
them,
truly,
I say to
you,
there is no
one who
has left
house or
wife or
brothers or
parents or
children for
the sake of
the kingdom
of God who
will not
receive many
times more
in this
time and
in the
age to
come.
Eternal
life.
As we
saw earlier
in Luke
5,
11,
28,
Peter,
James,
John,
and Levi
have left
everything they
had and
followed Jesus.
This is what
Peter is
referring to.
And Jesus
commends them
as examples
of discipleship.
Many ancient
Jews were
disowned by
their families
for following
Christ.
Christians in
some other
places in the
world face
similar
ostracism
and persecution.
So to
some
believers
following
Christ
might
literally
mean
having to
leave
house,
wife,
brothers,
parents,
children for
the sake
of kingdom
of God.
But even
if this is
not literally
true for
you,
to be a
Christian
is to be
a person
who has
left house,
wife,
brothers,
sisters,
children for
the sake
of the
kingdom
of God.
In the
sense of
subordinating
all these
responsibilities
and commitments
to following
Christ.
So you
might own
a house,
you might
have a
spouse,
sibling,
parent,
or child,
but none
of them
must be
the controlling
center of
your life.
Your
priorities
and purposes
must be
submitted
to Christ.
Everything
and everyone,
including you,
yourself,
must be
second.
to Christ.
Yes,
this is
costly.
Yes,
this requires
sacrifice,
but oh,
it is worth
it.
Look at
the rewards
that Jesus
holds out
to us
in two parts
in verse 30.
He says,
we will receive
many times
more in
this time.
That's the
first stage
of our reward.
And in the
age to come,
eternal life.
that's the
second stage
of our reward.
These two
stages of
rewards
corresponds
to the
already but
not yet
nature of
the kingdom
of God.
God's
kingdom has
already broken
into our
world through
the life,
death,
resurrection,
and ascension
of Jesus
Christ,
but it has
not yet been
consummated.
It has not
yet been
brought to
full fruition.
salvation.
So we
will be
rewarded
in this
time with
many times
more than
what we
give up
for God,
but we
will also
be rewarded
later in
the age to
come with
eternal life.
Truly,
I say to
you,
Jesus says,
and that
means I
assure you,
I guarantee
it,
there is
no one,
not one,
who has
left house
or wife
or brothers
or parents
or children
for the sake
of the kingdom
of God
who will not
receive many
times more
in this time
and in the
age to come
eternal life.
Those who
give Jesus
the primacy
that he is
doing their
lives become
part of the
kingdom of
God.
As they
share their
lives and
possessions
with each
other,
we're part
of one
family.
We may
lose our
homes as
our exclusive
private property,
but we gain
a hundred times
more in the
homes of our
Christian brothers
and sisters.
We may lose
our spouses,
siblings,
parents,
and children,
but we gain
hundreds more
within the
family of God.
Some of you
have found in
the church the
family that you
have never had
in your birth
homes.
that's what
Jesus is
talking about.
Jesus said
earlier in
Luke 8,
21,
my mother
and my
brothers are
those who
hear the
word of
God and
do it.
We receive
many times
more in
this time
and in
the age
to come
we will
also be
given eternal
life.
And in
short,
whatever we
give up for
God,
no matter
how much
we sacrifice
for the
sake of
the kingdom,
what we
gain from
the Lord
will be
far
greater.
Perhaps
you are not
yet a follower
of Christ.
You are
weighing the
costs of
discipleship.
Perhaps
you are
wrestling with
the one
thing that
you still
lack,
considering
whether or
not you
are willing
to pay
that price
to follow
Christ.
perhaps
you have
already
decided
to follow
Christ,
but you
are being
lured back
by the
treasures
of this
world
and
backsliding.
The
costs of
following
Christ
are high,
but they
are nothing
compared to
the eternal
rewards
that Christ
holds out
to you.
I pray you
understand the
weight of
that word
eternal.
Two summers
ago,
an Amsterdam
art dealer
and historian
named Jan
Six purchased
a painting
at Christie's,
a famous
British auction
house.
The painting
is a
portrait of
a young
gentleman,
and the
artist behind
the painting
was reputedly
one of the
disciples of
Dutch master
Rembrandt.
The pre-sale
estimate of
its value
was about
$20,000
to $27,000,
but Jan
Six paid
$172,000,
about seven
times more
than the
estimate.
So you
might say
he was
ripped off,
but the
art dealer
was onto
something.
The young
gentleman in
the portrait
is wearing
a velvet
coat with
an ornate
white lace
collar,
and Jan
Six observed
that the way
the lace
collar curls
at the
edges,
almost like
you could
put your
finger
underneath
it,
was a
clear
giveaway.
He believed
that the
painting was
both a
bit too
early and
a bit too
good to
be the
work of
Rembrandt's
disciple,
and concluded
that it must
be the work
of the
Dutch master
himself.
So he
shelled out
$172,000
to buy it
at the
auction,
and his
hunch has
paid off
because the
portrait is
being hailed
by art
historians as
the first
previously
unknown
painting by
Rembrandt
to surface
in nearly
half a
century.
And guess
how much
the last
Rembrandt
painting was
auctioned off
for at
Christie's?
Over
$33
million
in 2009.
The art
dealer paid
a very high
price for
that portrait,
but what he
gained was
far greater.
He was
willing to
pay the
price because
he knew what
it was really
worth.
Likewise,
only those
who see
God truly
as the
infinite
priceless
treasure that
he is will
forsake earthly
treasures to
follow Jesus
and enter the
kingdom of
God.
Truly,
I say to
you,
there is no
one who
has left
house or
wife or
brothers or
parents or
children for
the sake of
kingdom of
God who
will not
receive many
times more
in this
time and
in the
age to
come eternal
life.
God's
kingdom is
an upside
down kingdom
and it is
impossible to
enter it
except through
faith in
Jesus Christ.
Those who
cling to their
earthly riches
will be
turned away
and follow
Christ,
they alone
can enter
in.
But how
does God
change us?
How does
that reorientation
take place?
Taking his
twelve disciples
aside,
Jesus instructs
them in
verses 31 to
33 which
comes to the
second portion
of our
sermon today.
See, we are
going up to
Jerusalem and
everything that
is written about
the Son of
Man by the
prophets will be
accomplished.
For he will be
delivered over to
the Gentiles and
will be mocked and
shamefully treated and
spit upon.
But after flogging
him, they will
kill him and on
the third day he
will rise.
Son of
Man is a term
that Jesus
frequently uses to
refer to himself
indirectly.
It highlights the
fact that he is
not only the
Son of God as
he is described
in other places
throughout the
gospel, but also
the Son of
Man, the God
who took
humanity so
that he can
identify with
us, take on
our sins in
death, and
represent us to
God the Father.
This is now the
fourth time that
Jesus predicts his
imminent suffering,
and it's a
reference to his
death on the
cross.
A few chapters
later, these
predictions will be
fulfilled, and
Jesus will be
delivered over to
the Gentiles, mocked,
shamefully treated,
and killed on the
cross.
But on the third
day, he will rise
after his death.
death.
Interestingly, each
of the four
predictions of
suffering align
responsibility to
different human
parties.
In chapter 9,
verse 22, the
Jewish elders and
chief priests and
scribes are to
blame, and in
914, the hands of
men are to blame,
and in 1725, this
generation is to
blame, and here in
1832, the Gentiles
are to blame.
These four
predictions then
implicate Jews,
Gentiles, this
generation, and all
of humanity in
general.
People throughout
history have tried
to single out
Jews or Gentiles or
people of Jesus'
generation for his
death, but that's
only partially true.
they were all
guilty, and we
are all guilty
because it's for
our sins that
Jesus had to die
on the cross.
Yet in the
ultimate sense, it
is God who is
bringing all this
about.
That's what we see
in verse 31.
Jesus says that
everything that is
written about the
Son of Man by the
prophets will be
accomplished.
That's passive.
That's passive
language.
It will be
accomplished.
By who then?
This is what
grammarians call
the divine
passive.
The implied
subject of the
verb is God.
God is
accomplishing all
this.
And why?
Because it is
through the death
of his only Son
that God restores
sinners to the
kingdom of God.
Remember what
Jesus said
earlier.
No one is good
except God
alone.
We all lack
something.
We do not
deserve to be
entered, admitted
into the kingdom
of God.
God in his
perfection and
his holiness
does not tolerate
sin or evil.
And the question
begs who then
can be saved?
Jesus answers in
verse 27.
What is
impossible with
man is possible
with God.
It's to atone for
the sins of his
people that Jesus
died on the cross.
It's to give us
eternal resurrection
life that Jesus
raised us from the
dead.
God.
Psalm 130,
3-8,
comments on this
dilemma.
If you, O Lord,
should mark
iniquities,
who, O Lord,
could stand?
But with you
there is
forgiveness.
Thank you, God.
That you may be
feared.
I wait for the
Lord.
My soul
waits.
And in his
soul I hope.
My soul waits
for the Lord
more than
watchmen for
the morning.
More than
watchmen for
the morning.
O Israel,
hope in the
Lord.
For with the
Lord there is
steadfast love.
And with him
is plentiful
redemption.
And he will
redeem Israel
from all his
iniquities.
The psalmist
prophesied that
though all of
us are guilty
and none of
us are able
to stand before
God, that God
himself would
come to
redeem his
people from
their iniquities.
That's what he
did when he
sent his one
and only son,
Jesus Christ,
as his
representative,
the messianic
king.
Jesus is the
ransom price
to buy us
back from our
slavery to sin
and death.
Jesus is the
unlikely king
who rescues
his people
and restores
them to his
upside-down
kingdom.
Jesus' prediction
of suffering was
plain enough
because it
defied
expectations so
thoroughly.
It says in
verse 34
that the twelve
understood none
of these things.
This saying was
hidden from them
and they did
not grasp
what was said.
They expected
God's Messiah
to march into
Jerusalem with
his followers,
the city in
which Jewish
kings of old
reigned,
and begin his
overthrow of
the Roman Empire
that had
subjugated the
Jews.
But that would
not accomplish
the impossible.
That would not
get camels
through the eye
of the needle.
That would free
them from their
political oppression
but not from
their spiritual
oppression.
That would
wean them off
from the Roman
Empire but not
from the idols
of their own
hearts.
That's why Jesus
had to suffer
and die.
When we confess
Jesus Christ as
our Lord and
believe in our
hearts that he
is the one who
died and raised
for our salvation,
we become one
with Christ
through our
faith.
we become
partakers
in his death
and resurrection
so that we
become dead
to sin
and alive
to Christ.
We are born
again into the
family of God
and we are
given new
hearts and
filled with the
spirit of God.
This is the
only way
that the camels
go through the
eye of the
needle.
And it's when
we live in
light of this
objective reality
reality that
more and more
the idols
of our
hearts,
they lose
their grip
in our
subjective
experience.
It says in
2 Corinthians
3.18,
have you
beheld the
glory of the
Lord?
Do you
love him
more than
the idols
of the
earth?
Look to
the cross
where Jesus
bled for you.
Look to
the empty
tomb
which Jesus
rose
victoriously.
Let go
of the
idols of
this world.
Let go
of your
love of
money and
take hold
of Jesus
who alone
is your
salvation.
As the
19th century
hymn written
by Oro
Rowan
entitled
Hast thou
heard him,
seen him,
known him,
puts it
what has
stripped the
beauty of
the idols
of the
earth.
Not a
sense of
right or
duty,
but the
sight of
peerless
worth.
Let's bow
our heads
in prayer.
God,
help us
to be a
people that
we would
want the
one thing,
just like
David prayed,
that the
one thing
that we
seek is
your glory,
to dwell
with you
in your
temple,
that we
would sit
at your
feet and
let your
words be
the food
we eat,
that we
would say,
man does
not live
by bread
alone,
we live
by your
words.
God,
help us
to pursue
you with
wholehearted
devotion,
single-minded
focus,
that all
other things,
we would
lay aside
all other
burdens
to seek
after you,
Jesus,
for you
alone are
worthy,
you alone
deserve
our entire
lives,
so we
lift up
our ransom
lives to
you,
take it
and use
it as
you see
fit for
the glory
of your
kingdom
and of
your name,
God.
Help us,
in Jesus'
name we
pray,
amen.
Amen.
Thank you.